In a recent Harvard Business Review article, research identifies seven key characteristics that make a task "procrastination-worthy." Learn how to combat these productivity-blockers and watch your work ethic soar.

Unless a project or task is something that you’ve repeated many times, estimating time can be daunting. Truth is, very few of us are 100 percent correct even with lots of experience. Contingencies change, conditions are altered, and budgets and schedules collide like opposing forces bent on making even the most exacting estimates wrong. Eliminating risk is impossible, but you can mitigate the impact of inaccurate time estimates on your budget by experimenting with these tips.

If you provide project-based work to clients, you’ve no doubt encountered scope creep. Scope creep is the tiny request your client asks you to do once, outside your agreed-upon contract, that can balloon into many requests for which you aren’t compensated.

It’s here. The holiday rush. The Christmas lights sparkle on your drive home. The tree is up in your living room. Your kids are opening advent calendars. And your work schedule hasn’t cleared. If anything, it’s got more on it: In addition to your regular work, and the retail rush if you work that industry, you’ve now got holiday parties and happy hours.

How do you get it all done without getting stressed? Use your calendar.